There is something quietly powerful about the objects we keep. The silver tray tucked into a cabinet, the glass bowl passed down but rarely used, the delicate vessel you couldn’t leave behind at a flea market but never quite found a place for. These pieces hold history, craftsmanship, and memory and yet so often, they sit idle.
This story is about giving those objects a new life. It’s about seeing them not as relics, but as opportunities. And as we always do, it’s also about highlighting the incredible women entrepreneurs that are redefining what it means to live beautifully, intentionally, creatively, and on purpose.
Swann House is a place where history is not just preserved, but lived in. Inside the 19th-century mansion, every detail feels intentional. Rooms unfold with a sense of quiet luxury – layered textiles, collected objects, and spaces that invite you to linger. It’s the kind of environment that naturally inspires a different way of living with things.
Owner Christine Traylor describes her philosophy as, “personal, intentional, and highly attentive to detail. In a small, owner-operated house like ours, we’re never hosting hundreds of guests at once,” she says. “That intimacy is something I view as a true luxury.” That same philosophy applies beautifully to how we use objects in our homes. When we are thoughtful about what we keep, and how we use it, our spaces begin to feel more personal, more meaningful, and more alive. We begin to reflect on the story of the piece rather than viewing it as an object. The purpose lives in perpetuity instead of just existing in function.
Mismatched glasses, delicate coupes, and antique jars can effortlessly transition into bathroom organizers, petite vases for single stems, or even desk accessories. Small, details that bring beauty into the everyday. As Christine so perfectly puts it, “These aren’t grand gestures so much as carefully considered moments that make the experience feel elevated but still relaxed.”
They don’t always come together overnight.
That ornate silver tray? It doesn’t need to wait for a formal gathering. Use it to anchor your coffee table collection, let it serve as a bar cart base or a place to gather everyday objects such as books, candles, or your perfume collection. Suddenly, it becomes part of daily life rather than reserved for special occasions. Objects are not precious in the sense that they are untouchable, they are cherished because they are used and loved. “Guests often remark that the space feels like a home rather than a hotel, and that comes down to how objects are lived with, not just displayed.” says Christine. We couldn’t agree more.
into an extraordinary ritual making it transportive.
Repurposing vintage items is not just a design choice. It’s a philosophy. It asks us to slow down. To notice. To value craftsmanship and history. To choose meaning over convenience. And perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that beauty is often already within reach, we just need to see it differently.
Design | Ghost Host by MB
Photography | Eli Turner Studios
Venue | Swann House
